Is husband being friendly or flirty?

August 2, 2014

Dear Annie: My husband, sans wedding band, enters a bar alone and buys drinks for female strangers sitting alone. This invariably leads to conversation between them. On one occasion, the woman was a prostitute.

He says he is just being friendly. I say he is coming on to them. He does not buy drinks for female strangers when I am with him. Am I being unreasonable and jealous, or is he behaving like a horn-dog cad? - Friendly's Wife

Dear Wife: You don't need our take on this. You already know. Your husband is flirting and, without the wedding band, is seeing whether he can pick someone up.

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Annie’s Mailbox

He may not have acted on it yet, but if this keeps up, it's only a matter of time. We doubt he'd appreciate it if you did the same thing. Tell him to knock it off.

Dear Annie: I found it interesting that you didn't suggest to "Minus One" that the co-workers, whose spouses were not included in a wedding invitation, simply go as a group.

I have been invited to a number of weddings for people my husband doesn't know. Since he is not comfortable with strangers, I generally attend the wedding and then leave. There have been times when another co-worker and I attended functions together.

It is becoming more difficult to determine whether it's poor manners, changing times or indifference that creates these situations. - C.

Dear C.: Several readers suggested this possibility, and if that works for you, it's fine with us. In some instances, the bride or groom posts an open invitation on the bulletin board, but it's only for informal events, and you won't get an accurate head count.

But when you care enough to invite someone to your wedding, the spouse (or significant other) should be included.

Dear Annie: A while back, you printed a letter from "Sad in Kansas," whose younger brother claimed the family home as compensation for time spent caring for the folks.

I have four sons. One lives near me and is always helping out, whether it's fixing the computer or making a house repair.

When I die, he will inherit the house. My other three sons have been advised of the transfer and the reasons for it. They have been understanding and supportive of that decision. - Phyllis

Dear Phyllis: We agree that children who take on the majority of care for their parents should be compensated in some fashion. You wisely discussed these arrangements in advance, so there will be no unpleasant surprises and consequent sibling resentments.